In One Ear: Beware the escolar
The Newport Police Department posted a bizarre public service/safety announcement on Facebook, about a species of fish.
“ ... We don’t know who needs to hear this, but since we are a fishing community we warn you: Do not consume escolar fish,” which ranges, on the West Coast, from southern Canada to Chile.
“While the escolar is actually very tasty and delicious because of its high fat content, eating it comes with quite serious consequences. There is a reason it has been nicknamed the ‘diarrhea’ or ‘Ex-Lax fish.’ So, if the consumption of escolar is on your bucket list, you might want to wait until you have your next colonoscopy scheduled, to assist ... in preparation for that procedure.
“The odds of the unintentional, permanent destruction of your pants/couch/driver or passenger seat of your car ... is extremely high. We should also warn you that the immediate odor ... is comparable to that of the bilge water of a commercial fishing vessel that has been at sea for five and a half weeks ... ”
Needless to say, dining on escolar while in the company of others is most strongly discouraged. Just look up the word “keriorrhea.”
So, if you were thinking of giving this wretched-looking fish a try, remember this: Japan banned the escolar species in 1977, labeling it toxic. So beware. (Photo: Mexfish.com)
